Sassanid Prince Ardeshir II

 Prince Ardeshir II 

Prince Ardeshir, brother of Shapur II and leader of the Pushtigbhan of the royal hosehold. Along with his brother they successfully conquered Armenia and expanded the borders of the empire against Rome and in the east. He predominantly lead the defence in the north against the nomadic tribal invasions and squashed the nobles rebellion until his nephew was made King Shapur III. Another sub general for my Sassanid army, again an A&A miniature which make up the majority of my sassans.

cheers

Matt

Sassanid Pushtigbhan, Princes guard

 Sassanid Pushtigbhan 

My second unit of Sassanid Royal guard, this unit is also from A & A miniatures range. These chaps have been in my project drawers for around ten years. I ground off the raised decor with the dremel than sanded the horses smooth with wet and dry sandpaper, so a time consuming job to say the least. Quite happy with them could of spent more time on them but elected to get them table ready. They are the last cavalry unit I have for the army. 

cheers

matt

Sassanid Horse Archers

Sassanid Horse Archers

Hot off the desk this week are some A&A Sassanid light cavalry. One of the Romans most consistent enemies  of late period. Another batch from the project drawer that have been staring at me for the best part of 6 years......now done and dusted.

Based for impetus and the familiar circle I like to base my light cavalry on.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt Williamson

Equites Tertii Stablesiani

Another addition to my roman army, my last unit of light cavalry......I think! This unit will be used as CL in Impetus.

This  unit served in the east under the command of the Magister Militum per Orientem, they served along the roads around Cyrrhus in provence of Euphratensis. A great article has been written regarding this unit by Phillip Rance it can be found here

The meaning of Equites Stablesiani has much discussion around it, I tend to believe one theory that Spiedel has, that stablesiani means quick response unit, not light mounted infantry made up of grooms etc.

  I have used A and A miniatures for this unit, the shield is entirely conjectural, but is similar to  Equites Stablesiani Africani.

cheers
Matt

Cuneus Equitum Secundorum Clibanariorum Palmirenorum

Next unit off the table for my is my last unit of heavy cavalry for my Romans, the Cuneus Equitum Secundorum Clibanariorum Palmirenorum, this unit was stationed in Antioch under the command of the Comitatus Orientis.  

The Units name has caused a lot of confusion among historians for some time, Cuneus means wedge in latin, so did the Palmirenorum fight in a blunt wedge, or were they a small part of the whole unit, the Secundorum is the second; the second Clibanariorum Palmirenorum, where is the first, was it destroyed, disbanded? And finally who raised it? Is it a unit that was raised by the Lion of Palmyra and did not take part in Zenobia's rebellion?

I wanted to do a unit that was a little different from my first unit, with a mix of open faces. I have not found out yet if they campaigned with any of the Roman campaigns in the east, but I suspect that they may have. The Miniatures are all A and A ; A except two horses (face armour) which are Gripping Beast, the colours are all conjectural.

cheers

Matt

Sassanid Impetus Opportunity Markers

Sassanid Surenas Command

Finally some Sassanids off the table, still not as much brushwork time as I would of liked but still satisfied with the result, the figures are from the very fine Sassanid A & A range, with a horse that is with the Surenas (Nobles) on the website, Steve sent me a few with my last order, thanks mate!

Cheers
Matt

Equites Scutarii Indigenae Pafenses

Equites Scutari Indigenae Pafenses

Another unit of the desk for my late Roman army, the  Equites Scutarii Indigenae Pafenses, were stationed in (Mesopotamia) on the border at Tell Fafan, at the confluence of the Tigris and Bohtan Su rivers. The unit was known as the "Uholders or Defenders" and were used to patrol between the fortress crossing points along the border between Cepha (modern Hasankeyf) and Bezbade. 

The miniatures are again from the A & A range. The shield is based on the Equites Scutarii, and I gave them the oversize scutum from A and A miniatures. Still waiting to pick up some long silflor tufts to finish of the base, but otherwise done!

Cheers
Matt

Equites Dalmatae Passerentiaci

Equites Dalmatae Passerentiaci "Dalmatian Sparrows" Vexillatio Comitatensis

Another unit off the table, some weeks ago, I have a new job so a little behind in the posting department, these have already seen action twice and performed quite well both times, even managing to run down some shot up heavy Sarmatians cavalry in one of the campaign games.

Again A and A miniatures for my eastern Roman army, the casualty is from Foundry I think.

"Why don't he write"

cheers

Matt

Halani Sagittarii

Some Alan Or Goth horse archers off the table this week who will no doubt get use in my Roman and Sassanid armies. I am very pleased with the result of their stripey pajamas, The A  and A range captures the movement of the horses well, again I have based them in a circulus cantabricus.

Only five more bases to go of horse archers, which I ordered from A and A last week and my Sassanid army will be nearly ready for action!

cheers

Matt 

Sassanid Pushtigbhan (Royal guard)

Sassanid Royal Guard

Finally finished my Sassanian Shah's  guard unit, all the cavalry are A & A miniatures and the running roman is Foundry, based for impetus. I decided to use the mace armed figures to set them apart from the rest of the Savaran,  I have also painted them in a mix of colours, but sticking to a limited palette of red and  gold to link them all together. The shields are LBM transfers.

My Shah is in Royal Purple and rides a white horse, where as his men ride all black Nisean horses. At this stage I will stay with the banner I have given them until my LBM banner arrives, then this banner will bill presented to another unit!!

Only four more Cataphract units to complete my Sassanid Army, and yes I intend to paint them all as individual knights!

Sassanid cavalry 

Cheers

Matt

Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum

Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum

This is the first of my units for my Western/Eastern Late Roman Army from 330 to around 400, This army is being built to fight my Sassanids. The First unit I had to paint was the Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum, I decided upon A and A miniatures’ as they are beefy looking figures, befitting a guard unit and depict the Clibanariorum armor and the Nesaean horse nicely (and my Sassanid cavalry are also from this range).

A Short History

The Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum were part of the “Schola” or the Imperial Guard cavalry retinue, Each Schola was between 500 and 600 men. Many of the recruits for the Palatine troops were from barbarian tribes, Franks, Goths, Alans, Alamanni, Armenians and Isaurians. The Palatine troops were under command directly by the Emperor, the Magister Officiorum had direct control over the disposition of the Schola. Each Schola was commanded by a tribune who ranked as a Comes.

By 400AD Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum were part of the eastern Empire Army, according to the 'notitia dignitatum. The Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum were present at the battle of Strasbourg/Argentoratum 357AD and they disgraced themselves by retreating when their commander was unhorsed (possibly Hormisdas who was a Persian) and several animals falling over in exhaustion. 

This event is noted by both Ammianus, 16.12.37-41 and in the “Historia Nova” of Zosimus, at the battle of Strasbourg/ Argentoratum in 357 (HN 3.3.4-5):

And I ought not omit what Caesar did after this victory. "He had a troop of 600 horse, well trained in war, on whose strength and experience he so relied that he hazarded many of his hopes with them. When the battle began, the whole army fell upon the enemy with maximum enthusiasm so that the Roman army was gaining considerable advantage, but these alone broke ranks and fled, and even though Caesar himself and a few others rode after them and called them back to share in the victory, they would not have any part in the battle. Caesar was therefore very properly angry with them because, as far as they were concerned, they had abandoned their countrymen to the barbarians, but he did not impose on them the penalty defined by law; rather he dressed them in women's clothing and led them through the camp to expel them, thinking this a punishment worse than death for manly soldiers."

Dressed as women could refer to the removal of their military belts and being discharged as women so no land rights.

Concerning Cataphractarii and Clibanarii

I am not a believer that cataphractarii and clibanarii were one and the same. The first Roman Cataphract unit known is ala I Gallorum et Pannoniorum catafractata. The evidence we have for this unit is in a diploma dated 1st June 125 (when it was stationed in Moesia Inferior; it remained in that province until at least the late 150s).

Both types appear in the Notitia Dignitatum and units of both types are included in a field army. The cataphracts are listed first, this I believe indicates that not only did they differ but the cataphractarii are the senior of the units. The difference, I suggest, lies in the way that they were equipped and mounted.
Western vs Eastern heavy cavalry

The Western type had their beginnings with Bosporan contarii , however the Roman type we are considering were introduced by the Sarmatian tribes. Both rider and horse were armoured; the man was armed with contus, bow and sword, and did not use a shield (Tacitus, Histories, 1.79). Tacitus calls the rider's armour catafractes and says that it was made from scales of horn or hard leather and was so heavy that the man had difficulty getting up when unhorsed. Trajan's Column shows Sarmatian cavalry with both horse and rider wholly covered with tight-fitting scale armor.

I have a theory to put forward that the Clibanariorum were mounted on the larger Nisean horses (which were larger than there western types and in bred on farms around Rome by this stage) with bronze scale armor (as horse sweat does not rust bronze and it polishes nicely) and that the men were armored head to foot, and armed with two handed Contus and the bow in the eastern style.

There was much discussion in the Roman Army Talk forum on whether clibanarii used shields or not. Certainly, the Parthian and Sasanian rock reliefs do not show their predecessors using them and Julian, in describing Constantius' clibanarii, states specifically that they did not need shields (Jul. Or. II, 57C) also I have a theory that the six Schola units of the Magister Officiorum only five shields are depicted on the Notitia Dignitatum, so perhaps the Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum did not have them! (even though Scuta means shield!!!!)

A few Qoutes

Nazarius, Paneg., 24.5

What a spectacle that is said to have been, how dreadful to behold, how terrible, horses and men alike enclosed in a covering of iron.
Maxentius' clibanarii at the battle of Turin, AD 312.


Nazarius, Paneg., 24.5
When all had been killed to a man and your soldiers were untouched, people transferred the horror inspired by their armour to wonder at the victory . . .
Maxentius' clibanarii again.

Libanius, Oration XVIII, 18.37
. . . cavalry so invulnerably equipped as to lend them a terrible aspect . . .
Constantius' Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum, AD 357.

Ammianus, 16.10.8
. . . all masked, furnished with protecting breastplates and girt with iron belts, so that you might have supposed them statues (simulacra) polished by the hand of Praxiteles, not men.
Scola Scutariorum Clibanariorum escorting Constantius on his entry into Rome, AD 357.

Claudian, In Rufinum II, 357-364
. . . the limbs within give life to the armour's pliant scales so artfully conjoined, and strike terror into the beholder. 'Tis as though iron statues (simulacra) moved and men lived cast from the same metal . . . each stands alone, a pleasure yet a dread to behold, beautiful yet terrible . . .
Rufinus' clibanarii, AD 395.


Cheers
Matt

Equites Sagittarii

Late Roman Equites Sagittarii 

This is the second and third of my completed units for my Western/Eastern Late Roman Army from 330 to around 400. This army is being built to fight Guys Sarmatians, Dave and Andrews Romans and my Goths and Sassanids! These guys also came off the painting table at the same time as around 12 other units, these guys also do not have shields so no wait of my daughters Graphic design work and transfers.....so they were easy to post as they are done.

Again they are A and A miniatures, The sagittarii are quite versatile and could be used in any of my Fall of the West armies. I have based them for Impetus so the Equites sagittarii seniores and the Equites sagittarii iuniores look as though they are part way through a exercise known as the circulus cantabricus or Cantabrian circle, I am quite happy with the result!

Cheers

matt

Equites Exploratores

Equites Exploratores

Finished  some late Romans from A & A, they are just beautiful to paint and really look good, I remember drawing the shield from a mosaic as palace guards. I searched the Notitia Dignitatum but no reference exists for the shield pattern. I will continue to look around in my research books but until then they will remain unnamed!

Cheers
Matt

Arteshtâr-î Zhayedan Sassanid Gaurd Infantry

Sassanid Guard Infantry

Arteshtâr-î Zhayedan were the Guard foot Infantry of the Sassanid Kings, again A & A infantry, I would like to have had them all in scale armour but I am yet to find a suitable figure that can be used if I do these troops will step down to standard infantry. I have given them Phil Hendry's large shields to hide behind! My last Sassanid infantry unit is on the table and should be done by the weekend.

cheers
Matt

Payâhdag-î Nîzagân Sassanid Levy Spear

Sassanid Levy Spear

Kamândâr-î Payâhdag or Sassanid levy spear, apparently they performed badly against the Romans, but I think it may of been propaganda, I will be using this unit as more of a warband type rather than drilled. I think I may also leave these with the smaller shield instead of adding Phil Hendry's shields to them.

cheers
Matt